Mikey Shares : Sri Sri Ravi Shankar – A Life of Service

After reading various blogs discussing the values of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the Art of Living Foundation, I was looking for a forum to share my personal experiences of being involved with the Foundation. As one of the founding members of the organization, I have worked closely with Sri Sri for more then 22 years. Having spent countless hours in his presence, I have seen him in many diverse situations that have shown me again and again that his is a total commitment to a mission of eliminating human suffering on this planet. Besides sleeping just a few hours a day and taking meals, all of his time is spent in teaching, serving and uplifting others. He doesn’t seem to have any personal agenda or a separate personal life.

Yet in spite of Sri Sri’s dedication, he has received criticism from a few individuals who want to portray him as a fraud.

As the current president of his organization in the US for the last 5 years, I see where every dollar goes. The finances of all of his organizations reflect this emphasis on service. Because all of our organizations are registered 501c3 non-profits, all of the foundation’s 990 financial information is available to the general public to view on the Guidestar website after taxes are filed each year.

Sri Sri has a very Gandhiesque approach to running his foundation. He is more concerned about the future growth and expansion of the organization rather than in any personal gain. He refuses to take any of the honorariums he receives for his personal use and insists that all donations that have been given to him are to be used to support the numerous social service projects he has inspired in India and abroad. In fact, if his staff did not look after his personal needs, I’m sure Sri Sri would still be living in his original hut-like room at his ashram in Bangalore. His life is an open book. When he is not flying across the globe meeting political, religious and business leaders, sharing wisdom and collaborating on ways to improve the quality of life on the planet, he is either sharing knowledge, answering the plethora of emails he receives form Art of Living members and volunteers from 154 countries or spending personal time attending to all the individuals who come to meet him and receive his guidance.

At all hours of the day and night there is a sea of people waiting outside his room eager for a few moments to meet with him. And inside his room or hotel suite there are numerous volunteers assisting him in whatever way they can. Besides the few hours he sleeps or meditates, Sri Sri doesn’t have any alone time. I’ve often played the roll of being his secretary and spent more then 16 hours a day with him. There are so many interruptions, that getting work done is always a challenge. Getting a few moments alone with him is very rare. There is a constant revolving door to his room with someone entering and grabbing his attention at almost every moment.

Many times I’ve questioned Sri Sri’s motives for adhering to a daily schedule that is so grueling and physically demanding. No matter how many demands and challenges he faces, Sri Sri remains exuberant, posed and attentive to all who came to meet him. He is clearly there for one purpose, to ignite a spark of self-awareness and compassion that can help people lead a more fulfilling and productive life.

R/Sir,
first of all thanks to you ,that you spent your time with Guruji, This is our Indian culture that we give respect who work to built-up humanity, and Sri Sri ji is icon of all Indian, so they want see talk, and want blessings.
If we see or just near to Sri Sri we feel that we get an power and after that we give full effort to our regular work. That i feel many times, so when ever i got opportunity i see sri Sri and try talk some words, also when i confused i just reach where is Sri Sri present and after seeing and talk some word i recharge and get solutions automatically , I feel this is the power of an a simple but real human , he give not only blessing but give knowledgeable basics to all those want smooth life …
so sir this is my humble request that if any want to talk to Sri Sri please give them some minits …and this noticed that who meet many times to Sri Sri he/she feel change in there life, ( One of my good student Harish , he belong to sound family , when he see first time sri Sri and then many times, now at present he is really good , helping persons , If all students came like this i think India came again top of this world …and this work is going progress giving full effort by Sri Sri .
jai Gurudev
mohanbhaya

When i feel that my confidence came loos i try to meet Sri Sri, and i meet at Haridwar, Rishikesh (during Kumbh) , Went Bangalore , attending sahaj samadhi and if in case i didn’t see personally i take help of web. i see Sri sri , reading articles..quotas and all , then i feel that my confidence came strong and i give full effort to my work
Thanks to Guruji
I hope that by blessing of Guruji , i done my all work in good and successful
Regards
mohanbhaya

thanks for sharing your views 🙂
and yeh,,, i always have a feeling that guruji is there with me when i am in need of any help,, or somehow guruji manages out something for me getting me out of my problem,,
guruji is just amazing ..